150 Acres Protected. Iyane’e Returns.

A Partnership between The Conservation Fund and The Texas Tribal Buffalo Project

150 Acres of Ancestral Land Secured

For the first time in over a century, this pastureland — located southeast of San Antonio — is under Indigenous care. The Texas Tribal Buffalo Project (TTBP) has partnered with The Conservation Fund to acquire this culturally and ecologically significant site within traditional Lipan Apache territory.

This land was once home to vast herds of American Bison, or Iyane’e, and it holds deep meaning for Indigenous communities who have long maintained a spiritual and practical relationship with the buffalo.

A Pathway to Indigenous Ownership

Through a lease-to-own agreement, The Conservation Fund is providing TTBP with a patient and powerful path to ownership. This partnership ensures:

  • The land will never be lost to development

  • Community will shape how it is used and cared for

  • A future of restoration, ceremony, and stewardship is possible

Restoring Kinship with Land and Buffalo

The near-extinction of the buffalo was not just ecological — it was cultural. Indigenous people across Texas relied on bison for food, shelter, clothing, and spiritual connection.

TTBP was founded to heal that severed relationship. This acquisition allows us to continue that work:

  • Reintroducing buffalo

  • Hosting community events and youth education

  • Practicing land-based ceremony

  • Protecting native grasses and ecosystems

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